Shoe sole



G.'FERGUSON.

SHOE SOLE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3, 1918.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.-

nine stars tries.

ATE

MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERS JERSEY.

ON, NEVI JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEV SHOE SOLE.

Application filed December 13, 1918.

To ([ZZ '20 from. it may concern lie it known that I, Gnome FERGUSON, a citizen the United States, and resident of lVollaston, in the county of Norfolk and tate of Massachusetts, have invented cert ain Improvements in Shoe Soles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like arts in the several figures.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and more especially it concerns the manufacture of shoes of the kind in which the shoe upper is sewed, while reversed or inside out, to a single sole and the shoe thereafter turned right side out, such shoes being commonly termed turn shoes.

By way of illustration the invention is herein shown in its application to the manufacture of turn shoes with molded and vulcanized rubber compound soles of the type shown and described in Patent No. 1,286,176, granted November 26, 1918, on an applica tion filed in my name. It is to be under stood. however. that the inv ntion is not intended to be limited thereby, but to be applicable to the manufacture of any characier of shoes in which the invention may be used to advantage.

The invent-ion has for its principal object to improve the manufacture of turn shoes. particularly with respect to the construction and formation of the soles and the manner of assembling the sole and constituent parts of the shoe so as to reduce the production cost oi the shoes and improve their serviceability and comfort.

With this object in mind the invention contemplates a rubber compound solo con structed to be incorporated in a turn shoe as the outer tread member of the shoe and having a marginal portion and a central foot-supporting portion, said sole being molded to form, adjacent to the feather, outwardly facing sewing shoulder the top of which is in substantially the plane of said central portion, and a stitch-receiving gutter separating the sewing shoulder from the central portion of the sole. In the illus trated embodiment of the invention the sole comprises a sole-shaped body of rubber compounc. and an upper layer of t xtile material the marginal portion of wl .h is projected upwardly with he rubber body to provide. a sewingrib and the portion of the Specification of Le ttcrs latent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922;.

erial No. 266,578.

sole within the sewing rib is built up to substantially the height of this sewing rib so as to form a substantially level foot-engaging surface for the sole. The built up central portion of the sole is separated from the sewing rib by a narrow gutter the function of which is to provide the necessary clearance for the needle in sewing a shoe upper to the sole and to receive the inseam stitches. As herein shown the central portion of the sole is built up by applying to the sole a layer or layers of fabric shaped to extend to the inner edge of the gutter and preferably disposed between the rubber body and the rib forming layer. This built-up fabric portion of the sole not only gives the sole more body and strength but it also serves as an insulation for the foot, both of which features are of especial importance in a turn shoe wherein only the single sole is employed.

The invention further contemplates a sole for turn shoes made of composite material and having a sewing rib or shoulder formed along its marginal surface with the top of the shoulder substantially flush with the upper surface of the sole through the forepart of the sole and having a recess formed in the upper surface of the shank portion of the sole within the shoulder adapted to receive a shank stiffening member. This is herein accomplished by projecting the sewing rib a uniform height above the upper surface of the sole and terminatii the built-up portion of the sole at substantially its ball line whereby the sewing rib along either side of the shank of the sole together w'th the rear end of the built-up portion of the sole produces the walled stiffener receiving recess for the shank and if desired the heel seat portion of the sole.

The composite turn sole thus produced is employed, in the. illustrated preferred practice of the invention, by a procedure which comprises assembling the sole and the shoe upper inside out upon a last and sewithe upper to the sewing rib of the sole turning the shoe right side out. while the sole is fie-XL ble in the shank, arranging in the prepared recess a shank stiffening member the upper surface of which is substantially flush with the top of the adjacent sewing rib and the forepart of the sole and thereafter relasting the shoe and completing; its manufacture in the usual manner. It will be noted that the shank stiffener receiving recess enables the formed on the up per sur taco oi the sole prior to turning the shoe right side out and advantageously while the sole is in its reversed cUi'llilO lllliltlOilq on the last .in which case the filler material held in place in the utter under compression when the sole resiunes its normal conformation in the-finished shoe. llhe shoe bottom gutter filler provideijl by the invention and illustrated. herein 0011b,

prises a strip of conformable and preferably slightly compressible material of indefinite len th and of a cross-sectional she as to fill t3 the stitch IQCBlVlllQf utter of the sole substan'tially flush with the adjacent surfaces oi? the sole. By applying this filler strip to the sole when it is still attaiiihed to the first last as directly after the sewing; operation, the gutter opened up or sprung because of the reverse convexity ot the sole which il'acilitates the application of the tiller in the gutter and subsequently when the shoe is removed from the last andturned right side out the gutter closes in on the tiller strip and acts to hold it underconnn'e ion. the cmnpressibility ot' the material. also coin-- pensat'ing for any variation in the shape of the tiller which would iititerterc with the desired conformation oi? the sole. The teature of the invention which provides a shoe bottom gutter filler and the application ot this tiller to the stitch-receiving .c the sewing operation is pertoiimul on the shoe to present a surtace flush with the top of the sewing rib and. the central surface of the sole applicable also to the nuunrtacture of welt shoes in which the insole is made so as to provide a sewingrib substantially flush with the surface at the in sole within the sewing; rib, the gutter :filler leveling oil the bottom oi the insole and providing a flat surface upon which to lay the outsole.

The term rubbei is herein used to designate rubber, rubber ciinii'msition, and similar composite materials including the so-called fibre sole compositions now extensively used.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate. a pre'rt red eml'iodiinent oi the invention and the invention will then be pointed out in the armendeclclaims.

In the drawings," i

Fig. 1 is a perspective View oil a sole :tor turn shoes made in accordance with a preteri ed embodiment of the invention, the sole the torepart Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the shoe upper attached to the sole and the manner of filling the stitch receiving gutter ot the sole;

Fig. 3 illustrates the application of a shank stiilening' member to the sole in accoriflance with the preferred practice ol' the body 2 of rubber compound and a top la er l of fibrous material such as heavy CLIRVES, the rubber body being of substantially uni-- form thickness and of unvulcanizecl rubber stock. The top layer t oi canvas the mar ginal portion of which is to co-operate with therubber-bocly 2 in. producing the ii'iseznn stitch receiying structure or sewing rib for the sole is cutout to a site to cover SHlJSiIttTL- tially the entire upper si'iriace oi the body 2 as shown. lheinaterial which is to build up the central portion of: the sole bl anh within the sewing; rib is herein shown as consist-- ing of two layers (51 8 of CALHVLLS of a size and thickness to cover the central portion of the sole blank within the sewing rib and pro vide a. surface for this portion of the sole which is substantially the same height the top off the sewing rib. These "ller layers, 6, 8, as shown in the drawings preferably terminate at substantially the lknrward end of the shank portion oi? the sole blanl: tor a purpose hereinafter to be explained and. are interposed between the toplayer of canvas and the rubber body 2. Also the blunt: of filler material. is slightly smaller than the area within the sewing rib and is centrally disposed on the blanlcso that the ei oi": the two layers will present an upri l all forming the inner wall of the gut which is inoldcifl in'the upper suri'ace of the sole. Although the lcind of material used to con stitute the filler for the sole is not sential canvas material has given very sat chitin-te ry results since it is adapteiil to become cll'cctively consolidated with the rubber body of tho'sole by vulcanimtion and serves to rein force the sole and add to its wearing qualh ties. It is not necessary to .intcrpose the tilling layers 6, 8 between the rubber body and the top layer but they may be advantavgeously molded on top of the layer of the sole or the central portion of the sole n'iay be composed entirely of the material of which the sole is made. in this case. however, the utility of the canvas mate ial as an insulator for the foot in the interior otthe shoe is not obtained.

After the layers which are to constitute the composite sole have been accurately as scinhled they are carefully placed between two to a The co-operating sole molds and subjected sole shaping faces of these molds are formed and arranged to mold along the upper marginal surface of the sole blank predetermined distance in from its sole edge an outwardly facing sewing shoulder 12 against which the shoe upper is to be sewed, and a feather l-i extending outwardly from the base of the shoulder and forming the sole margin. Preferably the sewing shoulder or rib 12 is formed in the mold by uniformly reducing the thickness of the sole material along its margin in order that the sewing rib may be of a uniform height relatively to both the tread and to the upper surfaces of the sole with its top in substantially the plane of the central foot supporting portion in the completed shoe. An inseam stitch receiving gutter 16 is also molded in the upper surface of the sole blank a predetermined distance inwardly from the shoulder and extending parallel to the said shoulder with the bottom of the gutter opposite the base of the sewing rib 12 to provide the required between substance 20 to hold the inseam stitches. The inner wall of this gutter is formed primarily by the edges of the canvas layers 6 and 8 which constitute the central portion 2-12 of the sole and the upper surface of this central portion 24; is so molded that it lies in substantially the plane of the top of: the sewing rib 12 thus providing a substantially level upper surface for the sole from shoulder to shoulder. The gutter 16 separating the shoulder 12 and the main foot supporting portion 2% of the sole is only sufiiciently wide to give the proper clearance for the sewing needle as it emerges from the inner wall of the sewing rib during the shoe upper attaching operation.

The sole illustrated is intended for use with the so-called sewed seat turn shoe and accordingly the sewing rib extends entirely around the heel end of the sole and it projects a uniform height above later ally adjacent surfaces (the feather and the bottom of the gutter) of the sole throughout the shank, the heel seat and the forepart of the sole. As shown in the drawings the upper surface of the sole within the sewing rib throughout the shank and heel seat of the sole is molded so as to lie in a plane substantially lower than the plane of the upper surface of the sole portion in the forepart and the top of the sewing rib 12. l ly reason of the projecting rib and the termination of the built-up portion of the sole at the forepart a walled recess 26 is thus formed in the upper side of the shank and heel seat of the sole. The purpose of this recess is to receive the shank stiffening member most advantageously as a constituent part of the shoe and more especially molding pressure and to vuleanization.

with its upper surface flush with the top of the sewing rib 12 and the central portion 24 of the sole It is to be appreciated,

however, that the formation and arrangement of the stiffener receiving recess may be varied within the scope of the invention i' cording to the character of the shank stillening member intended to be employed. By reason of the molding and vulcanization of the canvas layers i 6 and 8 and the rub her body 2 they become consolidated and firmly vulcanized together, the additional fabric layers 6 and 8 incorporated in the forepart of the sole adding appreciably to the body and strength of the sole while the shank portion of the sole particularly with the prepared recess 26 remains su'fiic-iently flexible to permit it readily to be turned during the manufacture of the shoe.

In the practice of the invention with the sole so constructed a shoe upper 28, together with the sole, is first assembled on a last 30 and the shoe upper attached to the sewing rib 1 of the sole by the stitches 82 in the customary manner as shown in Fig. 2, the stitches being received in the gutter 16 formed on the upper surface of the sole. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the bottom of the last 30 is slightly convened transversely and thus when the sole is tacked on to the last bottom the margin of the sole is inclined in a manner to facilitate the lasting and the sewing of the upper to the rib 12. This inclination of the sole margin by reason of the shape of the last bottom and also the tension of the inseam stitches 32 on the sewing rib further acts to open up orenlarge the gutter which facilitates the subsequent filling of the gutter. As illustrated in Fig. 2 the needle of the sewing machine passes through the between sub stance 20 of the rib 12 and emerges on the inner side in such manner by reason of the gutter 16, that the stitches are drawn against the inner wall of: the rib. Since the bottom of the gutter is opposite the base of the sewing shoulder adjacent to the featlier lei of the sole, it is possible to attach the upper with a short and therefore a strong stitch which particularly" desirable in a turn shoe as the entire-strength of the shoe is dependent upon it. Also the stitches, by being located in the gutter, can not engage the foot and may be readily concealed.

In order to provide a substantially continuous foot engaging surface for the sole in substantially a single plane throughout the forepart, the gutter 16 is filled flush with the top of the adjacent sewing rib 12 and the surface of the central portion'2 l of the sole. Preferably this gutter is filled at. this staee in the arocess of makin the shoe. that Z I b is directly after the sewing operation, and tor this purpose a strip of filling material such. as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawit to reinforce the fibreboard.

ings is conveniently used. This filler material fi l consists oi a strip of flexible and slightly compressible material of indefinite length and :1: a cross-sectional shape to fill up the gutter 16. A. strip of inexpensive vulcanized rubber compound has been found suitable .i'or this purpose as such material is readily conformable to the gutter andaslightly coi'iuiressible For a purpose hereinafter to be mentioned, Moreover the tiller material is sufliciently flexible to fill the gutter with out interfering with the subsequent flexing of the sole during the operation of turning the shoe right side out. The filler is laid along the gutter during this. step of the process as illustrated in. Fig. 2. It is desirable, however. that the filler material should not fit too snugly Within the gutter since the gutter is enlarged when the sole; is on the last and this would tend to'keep the gutter opened and interfere with the sole assuming the desired reverse convexity when relasted. Under ordinary conditions it will not be found necessary to apply the filler i with cement as the gripping of the filler between the upright Walls otthe gutter When the shoe is turned inslde out Willv be sufiieient to hold the tiller securely. .VVhile a strip oi? previously prepared filler material .is herein shown as "used. toifill the gutter, it is to be understood that it is also Within. the scope of the invention to fill the gutter in a ditlj'erent manner as for example, by using a suitable plastic composition to fill. the gutter or by applying the filler after turning the shoe right side out.

Inthe next step in the manufacture of the shoe it is removed from the last and turned inside out, the central portion 2a of the sole notinterfering with the turning of the shoe in the customary manner While the recess shank portion 26 of the sole permits the shoe to be flexed very readily.- A shank stiffening member is next arranged in the shanlt receiving recess 26 on the upper side of the sole. The shank stiffening member which is universally used in the manuiiacture of turn shoes, consists of a leatherboard or libreboard member 36 shaped tooccupy the heel scat area of the shoe and extend forwardl y through the shank of the shoe Within the sewing rib to substantially the ball line,

the underside of this member having a narrow strip of tempered steel 37 attached to In accordance with this invention this fibreboard shanlcpiece 36 is shaped to fill up the recess by the termination of the built'up torepart' portion 24- at the ball lineand of a thickness to provide a continuation of the foot engaging surface of the sole at: the forepart meat 1:?

rearwardly to the heel seat. By placing the shank stilij'ening member 36 in the prepared recess 26, its location relatively to the sole is readily and accurately determined and it is held in such position by the sewing rib liQso that it can not be displaced thereon either during further operations on the shoe or the Wen. r oil the shoe. This shank piece 36 serves to stiffen the loi'igritudinally arched shank portion of the sole and to provide support for the arched portion of the foot. In nailed scat turn shoes this stiffener constitutes the connection between. the shoeupper around the heel end and the sole, but this latter function of the shank stiffening member has no utility herein inasmurh as a sewed seat shoe is illustrated. After the shank stiffening member'is placed in the recess prepared for it in the sole the shoe is relastedand thereafter the operations necessary to complete its manufacture are performed in the usual manner. The relasting of the shoe orinore strictly the removal of the shoe from. the first last enables the sole to return to its normal conformation and particularly its transverse conformation so that the gutter 16 tends to close up and thereby grip the filler strip between the inner Wall of the searing rib l2 and the ODpUSEf-(l Wall 220i the gutter. l Vhere the filler matcrial which is used is slightly compressible any slight variation either in the cross-section-al sia-pc ot the filler or the shape of the gutter may be readily compensated for when the shoe second lasted Without distorting or otherwise injuring the desired smooth tread surface for the sole.

F ince the toot engaging-surface of the sole is substantially level from rib to rib, transversely, and also throughout the entire length of the sole, there is no need'for a separate tiller piece such as it now essential to use in turn shoes thus eliminating the labor and expense involved-in leveling oii: the in or foot engan-i surface 0? the solo. In Fact it is entirely iiractical to apply the usual. turn shoe sock lining 40 to the upper side of thesole Without further operation upon the interior of the shoe as illustrated in Fig. i.

it will be recognizi-ul that the sole and the procedure by which it is incorpm'ated in ashoe as herein "described makes it possible to produce a comfortable and serviceable shoe with a minimum number of shoemalting operations and a relatively small factory equip ment. Furthermore, an exceedingly coin- :tortable and serviceable shoe is produced since it offers a smooth non rubber-toot engaging surface for the :i oot and its manufacture is not dependent upon the carefulness and skill of an operator in fitting the tiller piece and shanlc member in proper position on the upper side of the sole. it will be well recognized by those skilled in the art that because of the relatively few major opera l l ll tions necessary in producing the sole and in assembling the constituent parts of the shoe according to this invention, this shoe is peculiarly adapted to meet the needs of an in expensibe outdoor shoe such as is now supplied by the vulcanized rubber soled shoes commonly called sneakers. These sneaker shoes are not satisfactory in many respects. I" or example, they give very little service to the wearer in proportion to their cost and are to many people uncomfortable and of a not sutliciently neat appearance. A shoe manufactured as hereinabore set forth, in addition to providing the desired neat apiearance and serviceability gives the proper support to the foot, particularly through the shank portion thereof, and can be worn to the same ad 'antage as a leather shoe.

The shoe and the method of makin it, which have been disclosed above, form the subjectmatter of a divisional application Serial No. 352,02; and are not claimed herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vulcanized sole for use in the manufacture of a turned shoe comprising a body portion consisting entirely of vulcanized rubber compound and an upper layer of fabric, there being molded on the upper face of the sole and extending around the margin thereof a flat feather, inside the feather a sewing-rib, inside the rib a gutter, and inside the gutter filler portion the top of the filler portion being substantially flush with the top of the rib, the gutter being of a width sulficient to provide clearance for the needle of the sewing machine by which the sole is to be attached to the upper of the shoe the bottom of the gutter being located at a level at least as low as that of the feather.

A vulcanized sole for use in the manufacture of a turned shoe comprising a body portion consisting entirely of vulcanized rubber compound and an upper layer of fabric, there being molded on the upper face of the sole and extending around the margin thereof a flat feather, inside the feather a sewing-rib, inside the rib a gutter, and inside the gutter a filler portion, the top of the tiller portion being substantially flush with the top of the rib, the gutter being of a width sufficient to provide clearance for the needle of the sewing machine by which the sole is to be attached to the upper of the shoe, the width of the gutter being substantially equal to that of the rib, the bottom of the gutter being substantially flat and located at least as low as that of the feather.

3. As an article of manufacture, a vulcanized rubber sole adapted to constitute the outer tread member of a turn shoe comprising a sole-shaped rubber body portion, a top layer of canvas vulcanized to the rubber body and having its marginal portion raised to form a sewing shoulder along the upper marginal surface of the sole, and an integral layer of fibrous material disposed inside the said sewing shoulder to form the main foot supporting surface of the sole substantially flush with the top of the sewing shoulder with a stitch receiving gutter separating the said fibrous layer and the said sewing shoulder, and a portion extending outwardly from the base of the sewing shoulder, said fibrous layer terminating at the ball line of the sole.

4:. As an article of manufacture, a shoe sole comprising a composite soleshaped blank having a reduced feather portion along its outer margin, a stitch receiving rib against which the shoe upper is sewed extending along the inner margin of the feather portion, a main foot engaging area of substantially the same height as the said stitch receiving rib and separated therefrom by a stitch receiving gutter having its base opposite the base of the stitch receiving rib, and provided with a recess extending through the shank portion of the sole inside the sewing rib and adapted to receive a shank stiffener member.

5. As an article of manufacture, a shoe sole comprising a composite sole-shaped blank molded to provide on its upper marginal surface a sewing rib which projects above the upper surface of the sole inside thereof through the shank and heel seat portion and which is substantially flush with the upper surface of the central portion of the sole through the forepart.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE FERGUSON. 

